Yami And Yugi Apart
by BlueHope202
Summary: Yugi undergoes the most painful challenge of his entire life when he encounters a mysterious sprirt. Now on the verge of death, Joey and Tea must work together to keep Yugi and Yami alive.
1. Strange Feelings, Strange Places

Yami and Yugi Apart  
  
"Yu-Gi-Oh!" Its Characters and Trading Card Game is property of Kazuki Takahashi.  
  
Chapter One: Strange Feelings, Strange Places  
  
"Something's very wrong with Yugi," Tea murmured. She couldn't help but be concerned for the little guy. He seemed so gentle and forgiving that even she felt the need to protect him. She noticed that lately he hadn't been himself. This excludes of course those moments when he changes from little Yugi to Pharaoh Yami, the King of Games. They were so different from one another. Little Yugi seemed pure, like he wouldn't hurt a fly; but Yami...he was dark and hasn't hesitated from using his mind crush on a few people. Tea didn't know how to describe it, but somehow Yami made her feel safe. His confidence was matchless and his voice...  
  
...Tea was blushing.  
  
"I shouldn't do this in front of Yugi!" she yelled at herself. But before she could get out of range, Yugi approached.  
  
"What's wrong Tea? Did I hear you yelling?"  
  
"Ha! No, not at all. Not me," Tea said as she placed a hand behind her head. "Besides, I was just a bit tired. I think we should take a moment to rest."  
  
Joey was sweating from head to toe. He had just caught up with Yugi and Tea who seemed to be in the middle of a conversation.  
  
"Just perfect," he thought to himself.  
  
"Hey, am I the only one dying of heat out here! It's gotta be at least 100 degrees. C'mon Yugi, give it a rest will ya. You're breakin' my back here!"  
  
Joey plopped down on the floor in between Yugi and Tea and knocked his forehead on Yugi's Millennium Puzzle which just happened to swing back and hit him in the back of his head.  
  
"No respect at all," Joey said, feeling his head.  
  
"MMhhmm, Of course, Joey and Tea," the small teenager replied with a smile. "I guess we can camp here for the night. I'm sorry but I didn't realize we had been walking for so long," Yugi stated in his gentle voice.  
  
He's never acted like this before Tea thought.  
  
As the night crept upon them, Tea stood by and watched as Yugi and Joey prepared the fire and tent. "I remember Yugi saying that he was feeling strange, as if he were being pulled into something. He wouldn't even give us any details, but he said he needed our help. Of course I said I would come, but this is getting really strange. Yugi seems to be...changing." Tea quietly pondered.  
  
"Tea?"  
  
Tea gasps for air, as if she had been drowned in her memories.  
  
"Tea, are you okay? I was calling your name for like three minutes."  
  
"Yugi," she hesitantly asked "what are we out here for?"  
  
Yugi looked deep down into his own small hands, as if trying to find the answer within himself.  
  
"I don't really know why we're here, Tea." Yugi said. "I just know that somewhere in this forest there is a great power, and Yami and I seem to be drawn to it. And you know wherever he goes, I go" he chuckled. Tea let out a short laugh.  
  
"Personally, I don't care," Joey said. "Whatever Yugi does, I do. That's what friends are for, right Yug?"  
  
"Uhh, Joey, you've... been complaining the whole trip," Yugi gently pointed out. Joey crash landed on the floor, having realized that he was in the wrong...again.  
  
"Hey, I'm still here." Joey continued. "I'm here til you find out whatever this creepy power is. You say that Yami's drawn to it?"  
  
"Yes...strongly. If it weren't important trust me, I wouldn't have drug you all out here to the middle of nowhere." Yugi spoke.  
  
His demeanor was so docile that Tea found herself mildly attracted to him. She thought of him as a rare gem, because most guys are straight up jerks, especially in this day and age.  
Yet, it was his alter ego Yami, who roused her deepest interest. When Yugi was like that, his very glance open up her soul. It was as if he were powerful enough to command her to do anything.  
  
"What am I thinking," she thought. "Yami doesn't even have a body...he's not REAL." She knew in her heart that it was impossible. I mean, he didn't exist. He's a spirit. She had told herself this over and over and over, but to this day she still finds herself looking for that next duel, not to see Yugi win, but to lay eyes on the anomaly of Yami. She sighed.  
  
"What was that just now," Joey stated to Tea.  
  
"Huh? I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Joey and Yugi managed to put a decent fire together. They had set up a tent, but of course, they were going to allow Tea to have it while they slept in the dirt. Yugi prided himself with protecting her. He felt good about giving her the tent. He just wanted her to be comfortable.  
  
"You just let out one of them "love sighs"!" Joey announced.  
  
"No I did not!" Tea screamed.  
  
"I heard it too, Tea." Yugi teased. "Mind tellin' us all about him?"  
  
"I DID NOT do a "love sigh" and I am not in love with anyone!" Tea bellowed.  
  
Tea put on quite an act that night. Her testament was so loud, Yugi was sure Yami was shakin' in his shoes...er...boots. Tea stormed off into the tent. Joey was certainly happy Tea couldn't slam the door on the tent because both Yugi and Joey would have been deaf.  
  
"Wow, what just happened," Yugi asked.  
  
"I dunno," Joey responded "but Tea is certainly wiggin' out. Maybe it was somethin' she ate."  
  
Yugi just looks at Joey.  
  
"I'm kiddin! Look, ladies just don't like it when you say they like someone. I didn't figure Tea would freak out like that though."  
  
"What does it mean?"  
  
"It means she likes someone. I didn't figure it to be true, I was just teasin' her. But by her reaction she is seriously obsessed with someone."  
  
Yugi falls silent. Tea's in love with someone? He thought to himself. He couldn't bring himself to be hurt or happy. He didn't know how to feel. These emotions were completely new to him. Could he possibly be feeling hurt and jealousy? Yugi saw that Joey had fallen asleep and grinned. Joey was a true friend. Yugi was happy to be sharing these times with him, because he was unsure what the future held. The spirit of the puzzle reminded Yugi daily that the future was uncertain. The weight of the Millennium Puzzle was taking its toll. Yugi was crumbling under the pressure.  
Little Yugi stared into the fire and told himself not to be concerned with Tea. She was just his friend after all. In fact, Yugi decided that he should be happy for her and remain her best friend forever. Forever a friend.  
  
Yugi could do nothing but sigh. 


	2. A New Emotion

Chapter 2: A New Emotion  
  
The fire had long gone out when Yugi awakened. His large purple eyes flickered and reflected the tiny dying embers. Joey's snoring again he thought to himself. Maybe I can get back to sleep before dawn.  
  
He rolled over in the sand, but the tiny rocks gave no comfort. Yet, Yugi didn't complain. He was never the type to complain in the first place. Instead he lay on the hard earth and focused his soft eyes on the sky. There was to be no more sleep for him tonight. The night sky seemed so inviting. There was no doubt in Yugi's mind that he had changed. There once was a time when he was afraid of the dark. He chuckled. But now the darkness was a part of him. Yugi touched his Millennium Puzzle. "Yami," he whispered. Yami was his protector, his best friend and his partner. To lose him...  
  
Yugi snarled. Yugi couldn't understand why he was thinking of this. All night his thoughts had been everywhere. He had dreams about losing Yami, Joey and Tea. Yugi's little heart was breaking. With a growl, Yugi stood upright dizzily and began taking his first steps to an unknown destination. I need to take a walk somewhere he thought. Surprisingly there wasn't much of a choice. The forest was thick with bush and branch and there seemed to be only one path to take. Odd Yugi thought. I didn't see that one before.  
  
Little Yugi frowned. There was this...feeling resonating through him  
  
"I wonder who Tea likes," he thought.  
  
He held the puzzle in his small hands and walked. It always seemed to be the answer to his troubles. Yugi walked silently past Tea's tent. He knew his walking wouldn't disturb Joey, but if his rustling woke Tea up, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. Step after step, Yugi avoided the small rocks and cracks. Tea's tent was now behind him. The small purplish cloth blew in the wind, and with every flap he could see a small part of Tea's figure. She's okay he said. The war in Yugi's mind subsided for a moment. When Yugi looked at her, his mind was able to focus, as if it were his nature to make sure she was at peace. Yugi smiled. Joey will take care of her for now Yugi thought.  
  
The little teenager was alone in unknown terrain before he knew it. He had be walking for roughly 20 minutes before he realized that he was lost. The rough terrain was not ideal for Yugi's small frame. The rocks became boulders, the trees became infested with thorns, and the ground softened into mud.  
  
If memory serves, then afterI climb this boulder I should be back at the camp site Yugi thought.  
  
His sneakers squealed against the side of the rock he was climbing. His small fingers clawed at the surface as he summoned his strength to do one final push up. It was quite the comical scene. Yugi wasn't built for this. With one big sweat drop leaving his fore head, Yugi was finally ready to see what was pulling him all this way. He opened his eyes. "WHAT!" Yugi yelled. There was nothing. What Yugi figured for the camp site turned out to be a...desert?  
  
The sand blew across Yugi's small feet and whipped into his hair.  
  
"Yugi?" a deep voice commanded.  
  
It was Yami. Yami sensed Yugi's physical struggle. "Yugi, is everything okay? I sense that something is wrong."  
  
"Yami," Yugi spoke, "Do you recognize where we are?"  
  
"I cannot see without your body, Yugi. But I do sense that we are in danger. Where are we?"  
  
"I don't really know, but I couldn't sleep."  
  
"You left Tea alone in the middle of the night, in this dangerous place?" Yami asked.  
  
"No, she's got Joey there for her. And I didn't just up and leave for no reason. Something's been pulling me in this direction all night. Can't you feel it?" Yugi asked.  
  
Yugi could never lie to Yami. They shared the same body and could enter the other's mind with the turn of a door knob. Yami couldn't help but feel the same way about Joey and Tea that Yugi did. Yami and Yugi's minds were merging and everything Yugi felt, Yami could sense. Yami could not remember much about his life before Yugi, but he was sure he'd never felt the friendship Yugi and his friends offered him. Yugi was adamant about protecting his friends, and that feeling was now a part of Yami. He would do anything to protect them.  
  
"I do feel it," Yami stated in his clear and dangerous voice. "However, I do not know if we should pursue it. This feeling is resonating deep within me. It could be very dangerous and I do not want to see you hurt. Go back now."  
  
"I can't Yami. There is something very powerful here and I feel it calling out to me, like for help," Yugi said. "I know it's dangerous, but I believe in my heart." He clutched his chest, "And my heart is telling me that that this could have something to do with our destiny."  
  
Yami trusted Yugi's heart. It had gotten them out of some tough spots before at Duelist Kingdom and Battle City. But still, to see Yugi hurt would cause him great despair.  
  
"Okay Yugi. We have to find out what this imbalance is, but I request something of you, friend," Yami stated.  
  
"Hmm?" Yugi smiled.  
  
"Allow me to take over from here. This is still very dangerous and I think it would be best if I guided."  
  
"Of course," Yugi replied with a nod.  
  
The best part about having the Millennium Puzzle was that Yugi never had to be alone. Perhaps that's what gave him the strength to go out on such a dark night. Yugi prepared himself. "Time for you to take over, Yami," Yugi commanded. The Puzzle began to move around his neck. It created a great force which sucked Yugi down into the gold artifact. Yugi's spirit, that is. Yugi's body was without a soul for a fraction of a second before Yami's entered. Yami's soul was much larger than Yugi's. So much so, that when Yami inhabited Yugi's body, his appearance was slightly altered. He was taller, his figure a bit leaner and toned, and his voice changed. The most significant difference though, were his eyes. For even though he was a spirit, when Yami took over, his eyes remained as though they were thousands of years ago. He had dark pronounced lashes that pointed into the corner of each eye and a firm deep brow. His eyes possessed much power...as if they could haul the weight of the world. And they retained Yugi's purple iris.  
  
At the end of the transformation, a stranger would not have noticed much difference. For though Yugi was now Yami, their appearance was similar. It took Tea, Joey, and Tristan forever to notice, and those are Yugi's best friends. Tea was the first to see it at Duelist Kingdom. She noticed how confident Yugi became during battles and his tone when commanding his opponents. She realized that this was not like the little Yugi she knew, and inquired if he knew what she was talking about. Yugi said he just didn't feel like himself, but soon Yami made himself known to all and Tea found herself more and more intrigued. Joey and Tristan figured it out a bit later.  
  
Yami took his first steps. Yami had been stepping in and out of Yugi's body for about two years now and there was no way he would put him into great danger. Yami took cautious steps and the feeling got deeper and deeper...the feeling of what though? It could not be described. It is like for the first time experiencing an emotion never felt before. How do you categorize it if you don't know what it is? Whatever it was the feeling was growing deeper the closer Yami got. Yami passed the terrain with a bit more ease than little Yugi. Yami walked with distinctive confidence. His shoulders were square and balanced directly over his thrust hips which pulled his entire body forward. "He was once a king," Yugi once thought to himself "and he doesn't remember a thing. But subconsciously he still walks and talks the same. Weird."  
  
Yami was at the entrance...or what seemed like an entrance. The wind blew calmly against his tri-colored hair. His blonde bangs were swept in many directions. Should I knock first? he thought. Yami decided not to and walked slowly in what seemed to be a cave.  
The cave was dank and hot. Yugi could sense the danger from within the Millennium Puzzle, and Yami sensed his fear.  
  
"There's nothing to be afraid of Yugi. It's just a cave, you know?" Yami said.  
  
"I know," Yugi spoke "but I'm still afraid."  
  
Yami chuckled. "You know the dark is nothing but the absence of light. Not evil, not terror, not fear. The darkness is a haven for many animals who find the blanket of darkness the only safe time of day to find food. You should not be afraid of it. It is nothing but an empty threat."  
  
Yami hoped his words were comforting. He really wanted Yugi to feel safe. But Yami too was getting a little precautious. There were strange vibrations echoing through the sand beneath their feet and the unknown feeling was getting deeper. Yami didn't like it at all. He held the Millennium Puzzle in his lean fingers, as if to protect Yugi, and made the final steps.  
  
Note from Author: This story if for your enjoyment. If you wish to use the idea or a portion of it in another story please ask me. This story is property of R. G. Samuels. 


	3. Breathe, Yami

Yami and Yugi Apart 3  
  
Chapter 3: Breathe, Yami  
  
Yami was a spirit. He was not flesh like little Yugi and within him was no heat or substance. Without Yugi, Yami was nothing. It was only when Yami was in control of Yugi's body that he could feel the blood pumping through his veins and the soft tapping of his heart against his chest. Yami grasped his heart. Even though he had done this time and time before, the feelings of a living body were remarkable to him. Yami never spoke of these things, of course. He was silent. He chose to silently endure, as he has done for so many years before. He clutched the triangular artifact in his fingers—the same fingers which assist Yugi in his duels and have time and time before drawn the cards needed for victory. Yami, however, was still only a spirit. His protection of Yugi could only go so far. He was imprisoned forever by the Millennium Puzzle. A curse he placed upon himself in order to seal away a great threat thousands of years ago. Yami walked cautiously into the tightening space and thought about his past.  
  
His feet pounded the hard earth. Yami, despite his strong voice and sturdy demeanor, was tranquil. It is the mark of a great sacrifice. For once you pay the ultimate price, everything else by comparison is dust. Even Yami himself had faded away. He had forgotten everything about himself...about his past. He couldn't remember his mother's face or his true name. But what bothered Yami the most, while he silently thought alone in the chambers of his own mind, was that he couldn't remember why he locked himself within the Millennium Puzzle. He could have allowed his soul to transcend 5,000 years ago, but instead the young Pharaoh decided to preserve himself. "I must have had a purpose," Yami thought. The frustration was overwhelming at times, but Yami was a spirit, not a human. Such emotions and unanswered questions would drive a human insane. A human mind would be ill with passing time and sleepiness nights should they ever forget who they were. But Yami had silently endured for ages...continually wandering about the labyrinth of his own mind, without a concern for time. He bore the mark of great sacrifice.  
  
Yami continued forward. He felt something resonating from beneath him. It wasn't a physical feeling, but a mental one. "It feels like..."  
  
Yami could not answer this question. His emotions had turned to dust and his only connection with compassion, love, hope, pleasure and sorrow was Yugi. For Yami, his soul purpose was to find the truth.  
  
A strange smell. Yami halted. Too late.  
  
"I cannot tread any further," Yami said covering his mouth. "It's a little hard to breath and I sense it will only get worse."  
  
"Can you see anything?" Yugi asked.  
  
Yami had trouble clearing the substance from his lungs. Truthfully, he was having trouble breathing for a while but Yami was not the type to complain. He tried to speak but failed. Yami, the once great Pharaoh dropped to his knees and bowed before the great cave which began to crumble under his feet.  
  
"Yami? Are you okay?"  
  
"I—I can't...bre" He clutched his jacket.  
  
"Cough Yami! You need to breathe!" Yugi shouted.  
  
Yugi sensed that the ground was rumbling and breaking a part.  
  
"Yami you need to RUN!!" Yugi shouted within Yami's mind.  
  
Yami wheezed and grabbed his throat. He couldn't obey little Yami's orders. The weight was growing. The pressure was causing Yami great pain. He shuddered under the unknown and tried to compose himself. But Yami had no command of his body. The pain was too great and Yami was not used to it.  
  
"I feel...pressure in...in my chest!" Yami bellowed. Something was very wrong. Yami was now on his side and a great fissure was growing out of no where.  
  
"I'M SORRY YUGI...I...can't..." Yami wheezed.  
  
Seeing Yami like this shot a tremble up Yugi's figurative spine. Yami was brought down...not by a millennium item, not with duel monsters, but by a silent fume.  
  
"Wait! Yami....what's going on?" Yugi thought.  
  
But there was no response. Yami was unconscious. At least, that's what Yugi was hoping. The crevasse deepened into what seemed forever. There was no floor or ceiling, just a feeling of vast emptiness.  
  
"Yami let me take over!" Yugi pleaded. "Please spirit, don't leave me!"  
  
They fell into the darkness.  
  
Yami's body hit the ground with incredible force. But since he was already unconscious, Yugi could not sense whether or not the spirit survived the shock. Yugi figured that since he was still alive, Yami had to be alive too. His hair was dusty grey and his eyes silent. There was blood.  
  
Yugi broke his promise to Yami, and took over.  
  
Yugi arose to a great pain. His entire being ached from head to foot, and his chest burned with hatred for the poison it had absorbed. Yami was not responding. "But at least he's safe. I'll just have to lead us now," Yugi thought. The blood was coming from a small cut in Yugi's forehead, and Yugi had trouble opening his left eye. Little Yugi shivered in great pain. He felt as though on the verge of death and more than ever his heart ached with incredible sadness.  
  
"Why," he thought. "Why do I feel like crying?"  
  
A tear dropped from Yugi's right eye. He curled up within himself and hoped for one last comfort. Yugi was not built to endure such pain. He was just a little teenager with friends and other responsibilities. This was too much. He conceded to the seeping hurt and withdrew any hope of salvation.  
  
"Stop crying, Yugi," Yugi implored. "There's no reason to cry! The dark is just an empty threat...it's just an empty... Yami..." Yugi collapsed in tears and covered his face with his hands. He was crying...gasping for air. He was engulfed in sadness. Sadness for his friends, sadness for the spirit, and sadness from the darkness within the cave.  
  
Yugi cried. 


	4. The Mysterious Spirit

Yami and Yugi Apart 4  
  
Chapter 4: The Mysterious Spirit  
  
Yugi's frail body shuttered. His every muscle tightened in a feeble attempt to produce heat. Water soaked every pour of his jacket and Yugi's breath was beginning to condense in the shadows. He opened his eyes. The tears he had shed before he passed out sealed his lashes and made every blink a burst of pain. Any attempt to move resulted in a heart wrenching torture. Ache shot up every nerve, muscle, and joint. In these conditions, Yugi would freeze to death in a few hours. "That might seem like a long time," Yugi thought "but if I don't get moving now, it will be too late."  
  
Yugi yelled out in pain with his soft voice. He had the will to move but his body was paralyzed by formations of ice. The only thing he could move were his arms, and that was limited. He tried a new position. He forced his hands under his chest and tried to summon a pushup. No use. Then he tried to grab hold of a nearby rock so that he could pull himself up. No use. Half of Yugi's body was dead. The half of him that had survived the fall and the frigid cold were not strong enough to bring the rest of him back. Yugi's blond bangs cracked with every turn of his head and his fingers felt ablaze because of the blood rushing back.  
  
Yugi hadn't moved more than an inch from the spot in which he had gained consciousness. The water scratched at the walls and the echo of flowing water was everywhere. Yugi mustered the strength to turn over, but with that, he was exhausted. The breath flowing in and out of his lungs rang over the echoes. His panting was sudden and hollow. His lungs were suffering the effects of breathing in crystallized water. That must have been the stuff Yami was choking on. A small trail of blood left his mouth as his turned his head...to give up. Yugi, the duel monster's champion, was no match for the onslaught of physical pain. Here he lay, in a puddle of mud, waiting for the end to come. Yugi wasn't normally the type to give up so easily. But in this cave there was no one. No Joey, no Tristan, no Tea here to cheer him on. "Tea," Yugi coughed. "I could sure use your smile right about now...and Joey, your...jokes. I miss you guys." Yugi cried.  
  
"Please don't cry," said a voice.  
  
"Y...Yami? Yugi wondered.  
  
In the distance there was a figure. The voice was deep and confident...like Yami's. "Yami might be able to save me" Yugi thought. But little Yugi's eyes wouldn't cooperate. Yugi tried harder to make him out.  
  
No. This guy was way too tall to be Yami.  
  
"You are right."  
  
The shadow turned away from Yugi to his table. He sat down and began to write.  
Yugi could sense the abnormality of this creature. It resounded deep within him over and over again, like the pulse or electricity. His eyes glowed intently and in the midst of all this water, he was dry.  
Even though Yugi couldn't see that well, he noticed that the figure had on a long purple robe, with purple armor and a long staff.  
  
The figure sat, and wrote.  
  
"Would you...please help me up?" Yugi asked. His tiny voice echoed into the gloom.  
  
The figure arose, pushing his chair back with his knee and approached him. He did not use his long staff to aid him walk. Instead, he held it so that it wouldn't hit the ground. His light blue eyes pierced through the darkness. They seemed...so familiar.  
  
"Take my hand and I will pull you up. Be forewarned, the pain will be great."  
  
As the figure pulled Yugi up, Yugi clenched his teeth and focused of sharpening the image before him. His legs twitched and his knees wouldn't lock. But he ignored all this when his eyes revealed to him a creature he had seen many time before.  
  
"A duel monster?"  
  
In his dreams and in his mind always...there the familiar figure looked onward, right past Yugi as if he didn't exist.  
  
"You're the...!?" Yugi shouted.  
  
The image turned to face Yugi once again.  
  
"I am not your Dark Magician," he slowly declared. "However, I have searched your mind and this image seems to be the least threatening. It was a very simple process."  
  
"If you're not my Dark Magician then who are you." Yugi demanded. "And why did you bring me here?"  
  
"I am a demon."  
  
At this Yugi's eyes widened. "I am the demon of sorrow. A spirit, if you will. Born from the sorrow of those who have died alone, I have existed for over 10,000 years. And you, little Yugi, have wandered into my quarters."  
  
"You mean...you didn't bring me here?"  
  
"Yes and no." The image spoke slowly and had a voice that could out match Yami's any day. "I'm regretful Yugi that you have had to suffer so. But when you entered my cave you became subject to all the pain and suffering of the souls I have absorbed. That is why you are in such bad condition. They wish to inflict the same pain upon others...for they have no one to share their pain"  
  
Yugi tried to be strong, but his strength was fleeting. He began to fall. His body hit the surface with a thud and he once again pondered his fate. Meeting a demon of death was not a good sign at all.  
  
"Will I die here, alone?" Yugi wondered.  
  
"You might. But I think not."  
  
"Why," Yugi grunted as he lay on the ground.  
  
"I have no time to answer more of your questions. There is a strong imbalance within you. Where one spirit should be...I sense two," Ryutoki spoke.  
  
"Yami!" Yugi thought. He had forgotten all about him. Was he alright? Was he still unconscious?"  
  
"I must separate you two," the demon bellowed.  
  
"What!?" Yugi demanded.  
  
"Every spirit has a duty. It is my duty as a spirit to keep a balance. I knew that the spirit that dwells within you would sense me. I knew it would bring you to me. But now that you are here I will rid you of him. "  
  
"No wait...you mean Yami? He's not an imbalance at all," Yugi pleaded. But it was of no use. The demon was approaching. Yugi backed away from his beloved Dark Magician as best he could. But the effects of the cave were still haunting him. He collapsed onto his muddy back and screamed for help.  
  
He positioned himself into a form which resembled a dark magic attack and unleashed a torrent of energy.  
  
In the dark cave, there was a blinding light.  
  
The feeling of Yami being ripped from his soul was unimaginable.  
  
Yugi screamed, being engulfed in the light.  
  
Yami didn't say a word. 


	5. Disturbing Birth

Disturbing Birth  
  
Yugi took one last look at the magician as he stretched his hand high into the air.  
  
"Would you mind, lillt Yugi, if I took it from you?" the demon proposed.  
  
"Take it...from me?" Yugi repeated.  
  
But there was no choice for Yugi to make. On the eve of his final word, the demon let a ball of swirling light slip from his fingers...it ascended high into the atmosphere. And with an all too familiar grin the dark mage turned his back and walked into the wet cave, he spoke "I hope I have done..."  
  
The ball exploded upon impact with the earth. The energy blast surged through Yugi, and there was that ripping sound...again. The light did more than just illuminate... it was as if his very memory was being touched. He saw everything flash before him...his journey through the forest, his conversation with Yami, Joey by the fireside, and Tea's crush. Everything was rewinding itself.  
  
"... the will of nature."  
  
{back at the camp site}  
  
The sun was rising as beautifully as the day before. Joey yawned and not a moment later howled in pain. CRACK OWOWOWOWOWWWWW!!!  
  
Tea, rubbing her eyes, bolted out of her tent. "Joey, are you okay?"  
  
Tea, though physically the weakest of the group, had a heart as strong as steel. She would easily sacrifice herself for the better of her friends. Yugi liked that about her. Her spirit was always able to reach out to him...even through the shadow realm.  
  
"Joey what's wrong? Are you okay?" Tea panted. "Well Tea, it happened like this. OUCH! I was here lying on the ground and next to my buddy, but then I got up and when I yawned I felt this terrible pain in the corner of my mouth. It still hurts every time I do this...(Joey opens his mouth wide) OWW! See (does it again) Owwowow! I..ow..can't...OW...stop it.  
  
"Joey, stop acting like a baby. You just have a cold sore and it will stop hurting if you stop talking!" Tea shouted.  
  
"Do I...OUCHIE!!...have to?" Joey said.  
  
"Hey, where is Yugi? Didn't you say he was lying beside you?"  
  
"Well he was. Maybe he got up early and got us some food."  
  
Tea's tummy rumbled... "I sure hope so. (sigh) Well Joey I'm going to take the tent down. Why don't you see if you can find him?"  
  
Joey signaled thumbs up and went on his way. "I would tell you OW! not to worry OUCH! But I don't AHH! want to provoke SSS! my cold sore." He smiled. (OUCH!)  
  
Tea smiled. "I wonder what Yugi has for us to eat. Ramen noodles maybe?? MmmM! I can't wait to see him!"  
  
"AHAHAHHAHAHHA!"  
  
Tea looked up, dropping the heavy metal sticks onto her feet. "OUCH!! Joey if you made me drop these sticks because of your stupid cold sore I swear to God I'm about to come over there and pop you!"  
  
"Tea! Come here now...there's something...weird happening!"  
  
"Lemme guess...another cold sore? Jeeze, grow up, we all get 'em!" Tea thought. She picked up her rods in a fuss and tried to complete her task. But then she realized Joey didn't respond. He didn't say a thing. Not even a painful cold sore could shut him up... "this must be bad!" She began to run to where she last heard his voice. "What does he mean...weird?" Tea ran hopping along on her one good foot. Tea brough a rod with her just in case she had to knock Joey somethin' good if he made her plop all the way over for nothing. "This better be something good!" she shouted.  
  
"Oh trust me" Joey said "It's Guinness good."  
  
She was finally by his side. "Spill it."  
  
"Look down" Joey said.  
  
Two bodies were lying in the dirt next to a small stream of water. Both of their faces were buried in the mud and they both seem to have impacted the ground very hard. There was a trail at least 15 yards behind where they laid. Tea noticed the blood between one boy's nails and the burgundy tips of his hair.  
  
"Yugi!!" Tea shouted as she tried to run to the smaller one.  
  
"Wait Tea. Look...there...are two of 'em." He cautioned.  
  
"It's obviously Yugi and he's hurt and there isn't a hospital for miles! We gotta get him some help!" Tea yelled. "Who cares if there are two...they're both hurt and the both need help so we've GOT to do something." Tea broke free of Joey's hold and ran to Yugi's side. He was filthy, wet, and bloody. She gently turned him over. "His face...barely recognizable." Tea had a brief lapse of hope, thinking that Yugi might be dead. She felt the tears coming. "We have to do something!" Joey knew she was right. Something strange had happened last night. Joey was frozen in the splendor of uncertainty. "Joey!" Tea shouted. But he didn't hear. All he could do was look out in the distance. "Joey! You have to help me with Yugi!"  
  
"Tea, don't lose it we gotta be strong, and we gotta be careful, something really bad is in these woods." Joey looked down at his friends. "I gotta find out what happened."  
  
"What!" Tea wondered.  
  
"You have to do it Tea. You have to take care of them both. I gotta go find what did this to my buddy and when I do, they'll pay.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Tea, this is weird. I'm feeling that weird pull Yugi was talking about. That's not just Yugi on the ground there, but the guy next to him is the spirit of the millennium puzzle."  
  
"Yami!?"  
  
"For some odd reason, he has a body now. Something really strange and powerful is in these woods Tea. And I have a feeling that Yugi failed in trying to stop it. I have to finish the job since I let my buddy down!"  
  
"Joey listen to me. Let's get outta here! I really don't know what you're thinking but Yugi looks really bad! No matter what you're feeling now, you're friends come first! We have to get Yugi and the spirit medical attention."  
  
Joey broke his gaze with the sunrise. Realizing he was in a daze, he grabbed his head.  
  
"Joey, what's wrong!" Tea said.  
  
"We have to get out of here Tea."  
  
"Where are we going to go?" Tea asked frantically.  
  
"I'm sorry Tea I can't hold Yugi and the spirit at the same time  
. You have to hold Yugi, that shouldn't be so hard. I'll carry the big guy. I was sure we passed a cabin not to long ago. Maybe they have a phone. Let's go."  
  
Tea was weak. And the tears streaming down her face didn't make walking any easier. However, Joey pushed her to be strong. Yugi's life is in her hands now and she won't let him die. What ever he went through last night almost killed him. She clutched him in her arms. What she would give to see his large purple eyes look at her... and embrace her. Tea blushed. "What am I thinking."  
  
Joey walked behind her with the pharaoh on his back. He seemed to be the worst off.  
  
Yami's new body...torn to shreds. 


	6. The Fabric of his Face

The Fabric of his Face  
  
A moan leaked from the lips of the bloody body Joey carried. Joey had no idea just how dangerous his position had become. He was slow, tired and weak from holding the spirit. With every step Yami lost more blood. And with every passing moment the pharaoh became harder to carry. However, Joey was never the type to give in to a difficult situation. He had faith in his friends...and the once pharaoh of Egypt, King Yami, was certainly a friend by now.  
  
"Shhh Yami. Be still, your badly hurt," Joey said. The sound of his voice inspired him to quicken his pace. "He's alive."  
  
"He's breathing so hard," Tea thought to herself. Every now and again she winced back at Joey who was about an arms length behind her and he would, in response to her glance, lay a hand gently on her back to push her forward.  
  
"Keep going Tea. Don't you dare worry about me. This...guy's gettin' heavier but we're almost...there," Joey panted. His strength was there for Tea's sake, who was grappling with carrying little Yugi.  
  
Tea tried her hardest not to glance down at Yugi, but it was difficult. He had never been so close to her and this proximity, though necessary, was causing her distress. His gentle skin was so full of pain that with every step his face contorted in angst. She pulled him closer and wished with all her might that her arms might offer him some pleasure or comfort.  
  
"I'm here Yugi. You're gonna be okay." she whispered.  
  
She had to constrain herself from laying a hand gently on his forehead for such an act could further rip the fabric of his face. A tear fell. Tea marched on and held Yugi tight so that her body would more readily absorb the shock of the rocky path. It was up to Joey now. Joey was the only thing holding her together at this point. She walked on, step-by-step, and when she slowed, Joey would push her. She had no doubt that with Joey by her side, they would be okay. She knew he was strong and passionate about saving Yugi, but... the sight of a friend's face covered in blood and dirt makes the future bleak.  
  
Each moment was harder... and heavier... and hotter. The sun belted down with no end... like a dream. The trees offered no shade and the forest floor liquefied beneath their feet. The forest melted into a vast ocean of thick green jelly in which Joey and Tea trudged. They held the two bodies high above the surf but the blood drops Yami left behind left them wide open to predators. It was like trying to run underwater...like trying to swim to the surface with 60lbs of weight on each leg...like drowning in humidity. Tea's legs were beginning no buckle. Joey's shirt was soaked in precious fluids.  
  
He collapsed.  
  
His face was now as unrecognizable as Yugi's. His wet face left him a magnet for the forest debris and small insects were clinging to his brow for the prospect of water. Joey was on his knees, consumed by the color green, and hoped that Tea would save him. But she didn't come. She was nowhere. As far a Joey was concerned, this might be a dream and he needed Tea to wake him up. It's over...he thought.  
  
"Tea!" he shouted.  
  
Just as she turned her head hoping to meet his gaze an arms length behind her, his face was buried in the musk 20 feet back.  
  
"Joey!" she screamed. Tea's heart crushed. There was no way she could be strong for Yugi, Yami Yugi, and Joey. She ran to him, burning the rest of her energy and falling to her knees next to him. "Joey, please," she said with tears streaming down her cheeks "please don't give up Joey. We've got to make it to this cabin...You said there was a cabin near by. I need you there to push me Joey!!"  
  
Joey looked up at her face. "Poor Tea. Why does she go through all of this for them...for me?" he thought. Tea's tears carved through the grime on her face and left perfect paths from her chin to her beautiful eyes.  
  
"Tea, don't you know me by now?" he said with a laugh.  
  
Tea's heart rejoiced at the sound of Joey's voice.  
  
"Joey Wheeler never gives up. I thought you knew that by now. I'll always be around Tea...if you happen to need a boost." he confidently replied, pointing at himself.  
  
Her eyes sparkled with joy. Cocky and confident Joey renewed hope somehow...even in a forest of misery.  
  
"Joey, do you need help getting up?" Tea said, offering what she could since Yugi was still in her arms.  
  
"What? Why would I want help gettin' up when were already here?" Joey declared.  
  
"Huh?" Tea's face twisted in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Look." He pointed.  
  
Through all the sweat, mud, and green crap all over the place, Joey had noticed a small hut tucked away about 20 feet into the thick trees. It looked abandoned...the wood it was constructed with had long decayed into green moss-covered planks.  
  
"That's...not a cabin...it's a hut." Tea said disapprovingly.  
  
"Cabin, hut...whatever. It's the answer to my prayers...let's go," Joey asserted as he climbed to his feet carrying Yami Yugi on his back.  
  
Tea couldn't argue. She was about ready to collapse long before Joey did. And who know what's inside Tea thought. She followed Joey into safety.  
  
"You're gonna be okay, Yugi," she said again...this time a bit more convincingly. 


	7. Blood on Tea's Hands

Blood on Tea's Hands.  
  
As the door slowly opened, Tea's shadow spilled onto the floor. Crooked beams of the sun leaked through the cracks in the wooden ceiling.  
  
"At least we will have light," Tea said as she took cautious steps into the house.  
  
"Yeah, but as soon as it rains you can kiss dryness goodbye," Joey added.  
  
Joey closed the door behind them.  
  
"Uhh, Joey, what are you doing?" Tea asked as he locked them in.  
  
"Tea, this is where we've got to stay until these guys get better. They need shade and water," Joey stated as he looked around "and one outa two ain't bad."  
  
"Yeah, but one out of two wont keep them alive." Tea looked around. "Joey we have to leave. We have to find a better place...with shade AND water AND possibly MEDICAL SUPPLIES." Tea headed for the door.  
  
"Tea, look at Yugi," he stated.  
  
Tea stopped in her tracks. Joey stared at her intently and asked her again. But she refused. She lowered her head in an attempt to do what he asked, but she could not bring herself to open her eyes. She knew the very sight of Yugi's condition was enough to break her in half.  
  
"I can't," Tea replied.  
  
"Tea," Joey gently voiced "look at Yami."  
  
"I..."  
  
"Tea, look at me," he said pulling her close. "I'm exhausted Tea. If you go out there, I can be behind ya like I wanna be. We need you to have faith in us. Faith in Yami's and Yugi's will to live...and my strength."  
  
Tea slowly glanced at Joey and the figure upon his back. Joey's shirt was soaked with Pharaoh's blood. It finally hit her.  
  
"Now, the first thing we have to do is stop the bleeding," Joey said calmly as he positioned Yami's body onto the ground. "Here, lay Yugi down. We've got to search this place for blankets, bandages, whatever you can find that might help."  
  
"Okay, Joey," Tea muttered.  
  
The two placed Yami and Yugi side by side on the cold hardwood floor.  
  
Alone. The two pale figures were silent and still, as if imagining the sweetest dream. Yugi curled up in a ball—frozen into the position Tea carried him in, and Yami's body was spread across the ground, legs apart and one hand on his chest. It was true. Yami was in a far worse condition, but Yami would never put himself before Yugi's care. His deep purple eyes slowly opened—a strong contrast to the red blood on his face. He turned an eye to his beloved friend.  
  
"I'm...sorry," Yami hoarsely whispered.  
  
He coughed and tightly clenched his chest. Simply breathing was becoming too hard. Yami slowly moved his arm across the splintered floor. The small movement aggravated Yami's wounds and caused him to squint in pain. It also caused his new heart to beat faster...which meant more blood, which meant less time. He knew he was not doing well. The blood pouring from a wound in his side began to soak the wooden boards beneath him. But Yami's mind was focused on the condition of his dearest friend.  
  
"Yugi," he whispered.  
  
It was amazing how Yami's voice could become so gentle. Yami's hand had finally reached Yugi's left shoulder. Yugi was warm. It was the first time Yami was able to touch him with his own hands. Yami closed his eyes.  
  
The words "I will protect you," slowly drifted off Yami's tongue as his once again drifted into the subconscious.  
  
"Yugi's wounds, though very painful, will not kill him." Yami thought.  
  
Yami's wounds, however, were deep and with ever fleeting second he got worse. Yami was bleeding from his very heart.  
  
"Joey!" Tea yelled. "Joey I found something!"  
  
Tea had been searching the parameter of the house while Joey explored what seemed to be a small bed rest area. He managed to find a bunch of old wool blankets. Just as Joey reached the center of the house, where Yugi and Yami laid, Tea came crashing in.  
  
"Look what I found!" Tea beamed as she held up a large black leather bag with both arms.  
  
It was a large first aid kit. It was filled with all sorts of medicines, syringes, bandages, and even a pocket medical book. Tea found it in the storage shed at the back of the house.  
  
"Was there anything else back there?" Joey wondered. "You know, like water or food?"  
  
"I don't know. I came here as soon as I found this thing. We don't have much time. C'mon, we've got to treat Yami."  
  
Joey was amazed at the strength and courage just a little black bag had given Tea. She was a pillar of strength... "I hope she's a Dr. Quinn too," Joey thought.  
  
Tea brought the bag close to Yami who was staring aimlessly at the ceiling with one hand on Yugi. His chest rose deeply with every breath, as every breath was labored and distressed. The sight of Yami's purple eyes flashing in the light almost brought tears to her eyes.  
  
"Yami!" She ran toward his collapsed body and plopped down onto his knees next to his head.  
  
"Tea?" Yami spoke. His voice rippled the very fabric or the air. Her presence, however, brought him no comfort, for Yami could sense the deep pain in her mind. He tried to reach out to her but his entire body shuddered from the very thought of movement. He winced as she then laid a hand on his chest. The blood stained her hand.  
  
"Joey help me, we have to lift him onto a table." Tea demanded.  
  
Joey slipped his hands under Yami back and proceeded to lift his upper half.  
  
The pain was unimaginable. Yami growled out in anger. Simply lying still was a pain, but moving was out of the question.  
  
"I know this hurts buddy. Were gonna make you better, but you gotta help me. Can you try in stand up?" Joey questioned.  
  
"I...c-can't. My body...I can't walk." Yami panted. "Please, you've got to help Yugi first. Make sure that he's okay."  
  
"Yugi will be fine. Trust me, we need to get you fixed up first. You're in a much worse condition and Yugi needs you there to support him when he's better," Joey declared. "Now, we need to get you onto this table." Joey pointed at a large brown dinner table not more than three feet away, but to Yami it might as well have been 1000 miles. "Can you do it?"  
  
"I...I will try, Joey. That's all I can do...Arghghh!" Yami shuddered in pain, grasping his heart once again.  
  
"Hurry!" Yami demanded.  
  
"Joey, hurry!" Tea screamed.  
  
"Let's go Yami...NOW!" Joey affirmed. And with the rest of his strength he pulled Yami upright. Yami tried his hardest to steady himself and walk over to the table, but his legs quickly buckled under his weight. With his last might Yami forced his body to fall towards the table where Joey caught him and lifted him.  
  
"Hold his neck, Tea," Joey stated.  
  
Yami winced and coughed loudly. Tea continued to hold his neck and felt the warm substance bucketing out of a wound on his scalp.  
  
"He's breathing too hard, Joey," Tea said. "And he's bleeding from all over the place. What do we do?"  
  
"Hey, I'm no doctor. Look in the book," Joey answered.  
  
Tea wiped the blood of her hands and went into the bag. She pulled out a medium-sized paperback with the title: The New Haven Classic Medical Emergency Manifesto for PhD's. Tea became frightened. She wasn't a PhD...what could she do if she couldn't understand what the book was saying?  
  
Joey stretched Yami's body out upon the table so that Tea could treat him, but it was too late. Yami had finally gone into shock. His bright crimson eyes were now tightly shut and his body went cold. His teeth were tightly clenched and he was freezing to the touch. He was hyperventilating.  
  
"What do we do!!?" Joey yelled. "How do we make him stop?"  
  
"Yami...Yami! Please, you've got to breath slowly. I'm gonna find a way to help you," Tea yelped.  
  
Tea flipped to the Medical Trauma section of the book and began reading. Joey attended to Yami while he struggled to breathe.  
  
"It says here that first we have to calm the victim down and keep the heart rate as minimal as possible. Then we have to stop the bleeding. After that, we have to raise his body temperature and get him oxygen, then we have to disinfect the wounds and wrap him up and keep him warm," Tea said pointing the small text in the book.  
  
"I can't even get him to calm down Tea, how are we gonna do all that?!"  
  
Yami was in a cold sweat. His heart was pounding. Every time Joey removed his hand from his chest, Yami grasped his heart again. Yami was anemic. He had lost more blood than there was to spare. His blood pressure had declined to fatal levels and his heart was palpitating.  
  
"How are we gonna save him, Tea!?" Joey panicked.  
  
"Faith," Yugi said.  
  
He had awakened.  
  
"I have faith that Yami will protect me."

Whenever will the sun shine for Yami and Yugi? Find out soon.


	8. Yugi's Plea

Chapter 8: Yugi's Plea

  
  
"Take me to him," Yugi demanded.  
  
"No can do, buddy. I'm surprised you're up, but the best thing you can do right now is to stay down," Joey replied. "Tea, c'mon have you found out anything we can use....how do we make him stop!"  
  
"I'm trying Joey," Tea said.  
  
She wiped her face. Tea's fingers were quivering almost worse than Yami's. Her blood-spattered fingertips littered the book's pages. Between the anxiety Joey was giving her and the blood on her hands, it was increasingly difficult to get a grip.  
  
"Tea..."  
  
"I can't right now, Yugi," Tea said. She hid her eyes with the leather- bound tome.  
  
"Tea...take me..."  
  
"ARARRAGH!" Yami growled out in pain.  
  
"I can't keep this up!" Joey demanded.  
  
"I keep trying," she said with tears in her eyes "but I can't...I can't find the right page! I mean..."  
  
"You've gotta find it Tea!"  
  
"I can't!"  
  
Tea let the book slip through her fingers. The book, though small, hit the floor with incredible force and chipped a piece of wood from its place. This wasn't the first time she dropped the book, but it was the first time Joey didn't see Tea's hand reach down for it.  
  
"I just can't!"  
  
"What are you doing, Tea! Please, you've gotta find it."  
  
Tea's short gasps for air shook her entire body.  
  
"I...can't"  
  
She glanced upward into the broken ceiling which only revealed to her a bleak, white sky...a sky that should have been blue. "What am I doing," Tea thought. "What am...." she held her hands out in front her. She traced the creases of her palm with her eyes. "Joey?" she thought. She looked up and saw his blurry outline against the brown atmosphere. She could hear him...he was...talking to her. "Asking me to be strong," she whispered. But before she knew it, she was falling backwards with no regard as to what would catch her. Her back collided with the wall of the small hut, splintering her skin as she slid down to the floor. She held her face and her hands and cried.  
  
"He's going to die, isn't he?!"  
  
Joey growled in disappointment.  
  
"DON'T SAY THAT! Tea, if you don't get up and tell me how to make him stop bleeding, how to make him stop hyperventilatin', then what am I supposed to do!"  
  
She stared into the distance without focus. The array of blurred colors before her lulled Tea into a dream. She saw Joey's sandy blonde hair and the bright blue of his pants mix in with the moderate reddish- brown of the mahogany walls. She could make out the blurry image of a long blue figure stretched out behind him.  
  
"No not...blue anymore...he's red now..." she thought.  
  
"Tea, if you don't answer me he IS gonna die!" Joey yelled.  
  
"So much red," she whispered.  
  
Joey lowered his brows in frustration. The pain Tea caused him materialized into a tear, which he quickly forced away with his thumb. He turned his back to Tea and focused on the man before him. Joey placed a gentle hand on his forehead  
  
"I won't give up on you, Yami."  
  
Yami's breaths had become deeper. His eyes were tightly clenched and he held the edge of the table with a tight grip. Joey took a small rag he found and began to gently wipe the pharaoh's face clean.  
  
"I hope you heard that, buddy."  
  
Tea lay only a short distance from Yugi, who had been feebly trying to get up. His small limbs, however, failed at supporting his minimal weight. The large stain of blood next to him made Yugi seem even smaller. "He looks like a baby animal, a new-born, trying to take his first steps," Tea thought. She was still caught in the swirl of her hazy mind.  
  
"Tea..."  
  
The sound of that voice was different...it was closer and less severe.  
  
"Tea, please," the voice whispered "we can't do this without you."  
  
Tea had no idea how such a small voice could always penetrate her soul. Yugi could always make contact with her...even through the shadows.  
  
"Yugi?"  
  
"Tea, why did you give up?"  
  
Tea held out her hands which were shaking incessantly.  
  
"Look, Yugi, I really tried to help...but look at me," she winced.  
  
"Tea, you've got to help me up. You can still save him, but you have to take me to him first."  
  
"It's not like it didn't try," she whimpered. "And you know what...I was on the right page to whole time."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was...but I was shaking to bad to read what it said. I tried and tried over again to see it...but I just couldn't. Yami's going to die and it will be my fault."  
  
"Give me your hand, Tea."  
  
"I let you down, I let Joey down, and I let Yami down the worst."  
  
Yugi smiled. His bright smirk could at times light up an entire room. Though he was on the floor, bleeding, and watching Tea freeze up, he smiled.  
  
"Oh, Tea, you have never let me down. You have never let me down once. You're just a little scared right now, Tea. Joey shouldn't have been screaming at you. But that's only cause he's scared too."  
  
Joey turned at the mentioning of his name.  
  
"But trust me Tea, nobody's more scared than me right now," Yugi smirked.  
  
Yugi held out his tattered hand.  
  
"Yami needs our help, and I have faith that we can help him."  
  
Yami's eyes parted slightly.  
  
"Please Tea, take me to him," Yugi asked.  
  
The sight and sound of dried crackling blood flaking off Yugi's pants is a terrible thing. But that's exactly what filled the air when Tea took his hand and lifted him to his feet. Yugi held on to Tea with his hand which she placed over her waist. Yugi slowly placed one foot in front of the other while Tea provided him with balance. The table where his dear friend lay was not but a few feet away.  
  
"I don't think you should look, Yugi," Joey mentioned, making sure he ignored Tea's presence. "It's not good."  
  
"Joey, we've got to save his life. And now that you have me to help you, we're sure to do this," Yugi said.  
  
"I'm glad you're here," Joey smiled.  
  
Joey moved out of the way to reveal Yami's face, which to Yugi, looked a lot better since Joey wiped it. However, he was still bleeding...still breathing hard. Yugi reached up and touched Yami's fingers which had been grappling the table edge.  
  
"Yugi." Yami whispered.  
  
Yugi presence had stopped Yami from his shock.  
  
"Don't talk Yami," Yugi implored.  
  
"I must, aibou. I'm...dying," Yami said, slowly touching his chest.  
  
Yugi hated to hear Yami speak like this. I hurt him more than the sight of the wounds.  
  
"No you're not. You're stronger than this."  
  
"Yugi." Yami squinted his eyes "I'm...in so much pain."  
  
Yugi started to cry, but he couldn't break down. He had to be strong for his friends.  
  
"You're not going to leave me, okay! I won't let you go," Yugi declared.  
  
"I wish...I didn't have to die alone...in this body. I would have much rather met my end with you by my side."  
  
"But I am by your side, Yami. I'm here."  
  
"I've died once before Yugi...don't be so afraid."  
  
"Yami, stop talking like that!"  
  
"Okay," Joey interpreted, "once the victim is calm you must clean and wrap all wounds. It is recommended that you give the patient 15cc's of codeine or similar sedative to alleviate their pain." Joey then bent into the bag. "Well whadda ya know...the stuff comes pre-wrapped to go," he said holding a small pre-filled syringe.  
  
Joey came close to Yugi, who was holding Yami's hand.  
  
"You wanna do the honors or should you?" Joey pondered, hoping Yugi would catch his drift.  
  
"Tea, do you know anything about administering needles?" Yugi asked.  
  
"No way am I giving this thing to her, "Joey said.  
  
"Well I guess that leaves you," Yugi smiled.  
  
"Aww, man."  
  
"See Yami, you're gonna be fine."  
  
"So where do you want it Yami, in the arm or in the butt?"  
  
Yami looked up at Joey and did his best to grin.  
  
"I think the arm would be best," Yugi said, lifting Yami's hand.  
  
"Okay," Joey said, and proceeded to the insertion of the needle.  
  
"I won't leave you, Yami," Yugi stated.  
  
Yami smiled for the first time and lifted his head a few inched off the table.  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
Yami's head collapsed onto the table.  
  
"Yami?" Yugi frowned.  
  
Yami was silent.  
  
"Woah, is this stuff supposed to knock him out like that?" Joey said rubbing his head.  
  
"No, Joey I think something's wrong!"  
  
"What!"  
  
"Yami!?" 

Whenever will the sun shine for Yami and Yugi? I don't think I even know. Find out soon


	9. What Just Happened

"What just happened?" Yugi exclaimed.  
  
"I dunno...I just gave him this stuff! You said to do it." Joey responded.  
  
"Is he breathing?"  
  
"Take his blood pressure!"  
  
"With what, Joey!"  
  
"Your millennium puzzle?" Joey said scratching his dome. "I didn't mean to do it!"  
  
"Joey I'm not blaming you, just relax"  
  
"Is Yami gone?" Joey wondered as he placed a hand on Yami's rising chest.  
  
Tea was standing in the corner, allowing the coarse walls to balance her weight. The tiny splinters in the wood were tearing minute holes in the back of her shirt. The stress of seeing her friend like this drove her to the brink of insanity. "I have to get a hold of myself...I must," she said, balling her hand into a fist. She approached Yami.  
  
"Where do you think you're going, girly?" Joey said as he noticed Tea trying to approach the body. "If you think you're coming any closer after that stunt you pulled a few minutes back you have another thing coming."  
  
Tea could do nothing but stare at the ground. She gave up on him...on Yami when he needed her the most. He would have never done the same. She felt a tear welling up in her eye.  
  
"Well, what do you got to say for yourself!?" Joey exclaimed.  
  
"Joey, calm down," Yugi said. "We need to trust Tea if we are going to survive."  
  
"What! I know you saw what I saw back there. She completely gave up on Yami!"  
  
"She's just afraid Joey. Right Tea—"  
  
"What!"  
  
Before Yugi could finish defending her, Tea was running past Joey and Yugi toward Yami. She collapsed near the table and hugged his body. She was crying.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Yami!" Tea wept.  
  
"Why you..." Joey Started. But before he could go about bouncing Tea, Yugi stepped in and approached her.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Yugi thought. "Ever since Yami had his own body she's been acting strange."  
  
"He's still breathing!" Tea exclaimed.  
  
"No thanks to you," Joey added.  
  
"C'mon, now that he's sedated we've got to clean his wounds and wrap him up."  
  
"I can do it," Tea declared.  
  
Joey shot a look at Yugi, hoping that he wouldn't comply.  
  
"Um, Tea, you've been under lots of stress. Maybe we should do it?" Yugi asked.  
  
"I thought you said you have to trust me?  
  
"You see, we do," Joey started "But we don't trust you alone with Yami cause you might try to kill him again."  
  
"I did not try to kill him! Now you guy go out a see if you can find food or water. I'm fine," Tea claimed, and grabbed the medical bag. "Now go."  
  
"She's psycho, Yugi," Joey whispered.  
  
"I heard that!" Tea yelled.  
  
"Hey, can you say that any louder, I don't think Yami could hear you!"  
  
"You're such a jerk, Joey!"  
  
"Guys, please don't fight like this!" Yugi interrupted. He eyed Tea from the floor up. Her appearance was worn down. Her face was dirty, her hands were body and she was shacking immeasurably. "Yeah, you look crazy," Yugi smiled. "But you're my friend Tea." Yugi walked up to her tall figure. "We have to trust in each other if we want to survive."  
  
"Thanks Yugi," Tea smiled. "I won't let you down."  
  
Joey had already left the room.  
  
"I know Joey's mad right now, but give him a while."  
  
"Okay Yugi. Now go, we've got to get some food."  
  
"Mmhhm," Yugi responded as he slowly limped out to catch up with Joey. Tea had forgotten about Yugi's injuries. "He so strong."  
  
They had left Tea alone with Yami. His body was completely limp and she could move it however she wanted. However, she was still not strong enough to pick him up, so she decided to leave him on the table and undress him there. His clothes were completely soaked and could not be washed and re-used because of all the tears in them. So she slowly ripped them off his body. She wondered what the Pharaoh would say if he woke up and saw her doing this, she almost feared it, and almost wanted it, but it never happened. He was fixated in darkness. It did not take her long to get his jacket, black shirt, and boots off. She began to slowly wrap his body up with gauze...an all too familiar process for the mighty pharaoh.  
  
Whenever will the sun shine for Yami and Yugi? Not in this shortie. Longer chapters to come this week. But until then, do you think Joey and Yugi should have left Tea alone with Yugi?


	10. Finding Out the Truth

Tea's strength had buckled under Yami's vanishing weight before; it is very likely that it would happen again.  
  
"That medicine must have knocked him out cold," Tea thought as she easily manipulated his slim body across the table. She had already removed his shirt and jacket and was just about to wrap a deep gash in his right forearm when she noticed an even deeper wound on the side of his torso.  
  
"Damn," she thought as she narrowed her eyes, "each injury leads to a bigger one."  
  
Tea was confident that she wouldn't freak out again. She wiped her eyes as she recalled the earlier events of that day. It wasn't long ago that Yami was shock and was bleeding badly while Yugi was on the floor, suffering from his less dire wounds. It was at that time, when Yugi, Yami, and Joey might have needed her most, that Tea had completely freaked out.  
  
"I completely lost it," Tea scowled at herself. "I froze up. If it weren't for Yugi and Joey, Yami might have died."  
  
She closed her eyes tightly as she applied pressure to Yami's side. He didn't even wince in pain. He was completely gone.  
  
Even now she was struggling to stay strong. But it was considerably easier than before. Yami was stable and asleep. Meanwhile, Yugi and Joey were still out and about looking for supplies. The day had gotten much cooler, so Tea wasn't very worried about them. They had already returned with a bucket of water but still no food.  
  
"I hope they find something...anything," Tea thought.  
  
Tea slipped a hand under the pharaoh's torso and began to wrap the bare skin of his side. Yami's body was almost always completely covered, except for the occasional sleeveless shirt. Yugi was normally the one to do the dressing. But now Yami laid bear from the waist up. Tea couldn't help but notice his tan skin and toned extremities. She couldn't do anything but blush with embarrassment. There couldn't have been a more inappropriate time for Tea to be doing this but "I mean, how many times does a girl get to examine the body of her biggest crush without him even knowing it!" she thought. His eyes were gently closed, as if he were happily sleeping. It was obvious that Tea was smitten with him. The way she felt for Yami she had never felt for another guy. But she could never tell if he felt the same way for her. I mean, she turns bright red whenever he's around. And then there was that time before duelist kingdom when Yami saved her. "Actually," she thought, "he saved me a bunch of times, but he's never ever taken it any farther than that." But now wasn't the time for Tea to be fawning over Yami. Yami was by no means allowing Tea to see him this way because he loved her, or because he trusted her. Yami had no choice in the matter and was completely powerless to stop anyone who decided to manipulate him. But still, Tea imagined that somehow Yami trusted her...cared for her.  
  
She couldn't help but think that she had never seen him this way, lying limp on his back. Yami was very defensive, always standing with his arms crossed. Tea had an ounce of hope that she could be the woman to bring it out of him.  
  
"Maybe he's shy," Tea thought.  
  
Yami coughed.  
  
Tea had finished wrapping the deep wound in his side and moved closer to the pharaoh's head. He moaned in his deep voice and slowly put together the blurred image above him.  
  
"You must be waking up," Tea said as she gently touched his hair.  
  
Yami growled in a deep stupor and slowly moved his head.  
  
"Where..."  
  
"Yami, don't speak, please..." Tea pleaded.  
  
But before Tea could finish her request, Yami bolted upright.  
  
"Aibou!?"  
  
Tea grabbed onto his shoulders. He was in no condition to panic. "Yami must have been having a bad dream about Yugi," Tea thought. She applied pressure to his body and slowly pushed him down.  
  
"Yugi's fine, he's out trying to find food for us with Joey."  
  
Yami placed a hand on Tea's wrist and guided her had to his knee. She didn't understand what was happening, but Yami's touch had her blushing all over. And she was touching his knee.  
  
"Please, don't try to push me down, Tea. I...need to sit up. I need to heal quickly." Yami has slowly positioned himself onto the edge of the table. He clutched his head in pain. His blonde bangs covered his eyes. Tea clutched the spot on her arm Yami grabbed onto and felt herself loosing her balance.  
  
"Why does my entire body ache?" he spoke slowly.  
  
"Yami, you've been through a lot recently. I don't know what happened, but one minute we were all sleeping in the woods and the next....you and Yugi were badly hurt. This is the closest shelter we could find and..."  
  
"It's okay Tea, I understand, thank you. Did you do this?" he asked as he looked down at the wraps covering most of his upper body.  
  
"Yeah," Tea smiled. She reached for a blanket and threw it over his body.  
  
"Thank you, Tea."  
  
Yami retreated into his own thoughts. "As usual." Tea thought. Just when I think he's about to get some sort of reaction from him, it's over. She sighed heavily and decided to give the pharaoh some space.  
  
"This is not the time for this!" Tea said to herself. "Yami was practically on the verge of death and I'm selfishly thinking about myself." Tea rested on the wall opposite Yami.  
  
"I wonder what he would do if I just told him how I felt?" she thought.  
  
Yami couldn't think of anything except his Aibou. He was glad that Tea had moved away. He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Honestly he wanted to go search for Yugi, but every small attempt to move resulted in more pain. He was certain he couldn't stand. Yami had no idea what had happened back in that cave. All he remembers is the figure in the dark, wearing the image of his beloved dark mage. He sat on the edge of the table covering his body with a blanket, thinking of his dear Aibou when he heard Tea say something.  
  
"Hmm?" Yami whispered.  
  
Tea was slowly walking back toward the Pharaoh, still clutching the spot on her wrist where his fingers once lay.  
  
"Is something wrong, Tea," Yami asked as he raised his head revealing his deep purple eyes.  
  
"I want to tell you something," Tea spoke as she crept ever closer. "I want to know something about you."  
  
Yami chuckled. "God, it's good to see him smile," Tea thought. It happened so little.  
  
"I barely know anything about my own past Tea, besides the fact that I was once a pharaoh. You were with me at the museum, so what I know, you know."  
  
Tea was staring at him.  
  
"But I'm curious, what is it you care to know?" he slowly added.  
  
Tea's strength was waning. She couldn't figure out what she had chosen this time to figure out if Yami cared for her. Maybe it was because he was weak, and she didn't fear an outrageous objection. Maybe it was because they were alone. Perhaps it was because Tea witnessed his remarkable body and she wanted it all for herself. Whatever reason, Tea was acting very strangely and found herself creeping ever closer to Yami.  
  
Yami kept an eye on the girl. "She's acting peculiarly," he thought. But still, he kept an eye on her. If anything happened to her, his aibou would never forgive him. He wrapped himself in the blanked Tea had provided and slipped further into his own mind. In times like these Yami could always retreat into his soul room. But there was no such retreat for him now. He was alone.  
  
"I want to know how you feel about me," Tea blushed. "I mean...if you think I'm...a good friend?"  
  
"That wasn't what I meant to say!" Tea scowled at herself.  
  
"What is the purpose of this question," Yami thought. Yami figured that she was under much stress and was just looking for relief. So he answered with a grin.  
  
"I would never let any harm come to you, Tea. You are my friend. Even with all my wounds here, I would protect you. I care deeply for you."  
  
Tea thought Yami was giving her the same old lines...until that last sentence. "I care deeply for you," Tea repeated in her head. She imagined him saying that to her in ancient Egypt. She imagined him strong and healthy again, standing in his palace with her by his side. A feeling resonated within Tea. "Maybe I am the woman to bring it out of him," she smiled.  
  
Yami told Tea this time and time before. In fact, this wasn't the first time Tea asked him that. After Battle City, she did it whenever the two happened to be in the same room alone. Yami noticed how she blushed, how she stuttered. And time after time, deep inside him, he hoped that his gut feeling was false. But there was no faking it. The way Tea looked at him, how she touched him and spoke to him said it all. But Yami knew from the beginning how his aibou felt about her. And Yami himself had never fallen in love with a woman. Even in his past in ancient Egypt, Yami was beckoned by his father and close friends to enjoy the women of his time, but Yami had no deep interests in seducing them. Even though it was in his power. Yami didn't feel that his purpose lie in having as many sons as possible, but in giving his life for Egypt. And that's just what he did. Yami's present purpose now, was to protect Yugi. And to protect Yugi, he would have to tell Tea the truth.

"You care deeply for me?" Tea asked.

"Yes. We all do, Tea," Yami responded as he clutched his side.

"I want to know what you think," Tea said.

Yami was beginning to feel sick.

"I'm going to lay down for a while, Tea. We can finish this when I wake, is that okay?"

Yami collaped onto the hard table. Tea ran by his side and tucked the blanked around him.

"Sure," she thought.

"I sure hope my aibou is here by then," Yami said as he closed his eyes.

Nice going, Tea. Man, I know this chaper is long over due. I apologize. I owe you all, and next week you shall have your cups overflowing with juicy chapters.


	11. The Dream

The Dream  
  
Tea's entire body trembled with excitement. Within her mind a certain scene was playing out and it repeated itself endlessly, just like a movie stuck on instant replay. She held her knees close to her face as she contemplated her exact words.  
  
"Yami, do you love me?"  
  
-No, that's too presumptuous.  
  
"Yami, could you ever love me?"  
  
-No, I sound desperate.  
  
"Yami...I...love you."  
  
-What if I just told him that?  
  
In her mind's eye, the pharaoh was smiling back at her declaration. "Well, that's a relief Tea, because I have something to tell you." He then stood up, combating the pain of his wounds and slowly limped over her. "Take my hand. I want you to be close to me as I tell you this." Then Tea reached out, feeling the strong yet gentle fingers Yami possessed. "Those fingers...so precise," Tea noted. In the instant of a breath, she was standing 3 inches away from him. She could feel the warmth of his skin affecting her temperature. She pictured his bronze skin as the sun, slowly tanning her and causing her to sweat. He was leisurely making her weaker and weaker and parched for liquid. The pharaoh painfully got down on his knees, signifying his complete humbleness to Tea and bowed his head. "I could have never imagined..." the pharaoh lifted his head "that you could ever love a man like me." Before long, Tea was on her knees with Yami on the cabin floor. "Shhh," Tea whispered. "I want to be with you," Tea declared as she put her head on the pharaoh's chest. Yami slowly enclosed her delicate crown in his arms and then the scene faded to black, only to start over again and again and again.  
Tea was tied up in this dream for hours. Yami's promise to speak of the matter when he woke had the girl slung to her imagination like a fly to a spider's web. Only, there was no spider there to devour her—no tragedy to discourage her from asking Yami about love. She was free to struggle and flex in the strings of her imagination forever. The only thing now was for Yami to rise.  
  
Yami's head was throbbing and his pulse quickening. He lay on a small brown table in the middle of the unknown hoping the pain would pass. The pharaoh drifted in and out of sleep—in and out of pain—for 2 hours and it showed no signs of letting up. "Trying to find a dream is useless," the pharaoh thought and decided to assume his previous position on the table's edge.  
Within his restless sleep, however, he did find a means of dealing with Tea. He would tell her the truth, answer the questions she asked him, and would not mislead her in any way. It was essential for the protection of his aibou, and for Tea's own protection.  
  
"Yami, are you up?" Tea asked from across the room.  
  
"MmHmm," Yami deeply hummed.  
  
Tea stood up using the wall as a crutch. Tea's hands were so dirty by now that not even the splinters could catch her skin. She slowly walked closer to Yami holding a small portion of her shirt in one hand, and her dream in the other. Together, they must have given her courage.  
  
Tea stood three feet away from him, a proximity that was close but still allowed the pharaoh his space. She then folded her knees and sat on the floor.  
  
Yami smiled. "You can come closer to me Tea." His purple-crimson eyes had never seemed so inviting.  
  
Exactly what Tea wanted to hear. "Everything's going according to my dream!" she thought.  
  
She positioned her feet for a standing thrust but was interrupted buy the sight of a hand. Yami's hand. "He's reaching out to me," she thought. He pulled her up and slowly patted the dust off a space beside him. He was inviting Tea to sit close. This was all too much. She sat down and felt the table moan in angst but the fear of falling was not on her mind. "The words..." Tea thought. "What are the words I want to say?"  
  
The pharaoh was sitting with his eyes closed grasping his side.  
  
"Are you okay?" Tea asked followed quickly by "What a stupid question." But the pharaoh responded, "Nothing that time won't heal...combined with your bandages anyways," he smiled. Tea's heart was gliding on ice...Yami smiled at her.  
  
"I want to ask you something Yami," Tea declared.  
  
"I know Tea. Go ahead, I'm listening," Yami responded.  
  
-"Say it!" Tea thought.  
  
"I...have...have you ever been in love?" she finally sighed.  
  
This caught the pharaoh off guard. He was expecting Tea to be a bit blunter, thus this would be much simpler to resolve. But Tea could not bring herself to be so forward and opted for the scenic route. He knew this was true by the look on her face. A face of dissatisfaction. Yami lowered his eyes and began to think.  
  
"I don't remember much, Tea...about my past," Yami replied.  
  
Yami looked at Tea and noticed the disappointment on her face. Seeing her like this led him to find a deeper answer. So he did something different. In three precise movements, Yami's deck had moved from around his waist, to his hands. He had unlocked the belt around his waist which contained his dueling deck and took out its contents.  
  
"But memories are not always purely intellectual. In fact most memories are exactly the opposite...a feeling...an emotion that cannot be explained in words." Yami spread his finger across his deck causing the cards to spread. "The heart of the cards is exactly that. Something I can't describe—a feeling. I feel like we have a deep relationship that cannot be explained in words. I wouldn't call it love. But its close...the closest I've ever come to it."  
  
"Not that kind of love. You feel you have to protect your cards because they are a part of your past. But forget about the past. What about now?" Tea inquired.  
  
Yami was completely taken aback by her response. It had not occurred to him that the love he had been feeling was not the "right" kind of love. It was as if she was prepared for him to say that. As if she had acted out this scene before and was determined to get the outcome she desired.  
  
Yami searched his mind for the truth.  
  
"Aibou," he eventually whispered.  
  
"What?" Tea asked.  
  
"I have never felt the bond for another like I do for Yugi. He is...my light and I hope we are never separated."  
  
"No...no Yami," Tea smiled. "He too is a part of you that you feel needs protection. Just as you felt about Ancient Egypt in the past...and for your friends in the present." Tea placed her hand on Yami's thigh. A move he was not prepared for. "I want to know if you've ever loved someone." Tea declared.  
  
Yami was growing more and more uncomfortable. He was loosing control of the discussion. However, moving away was not an option. "Please, come to my aid Yugi," Yami thought. The pharaoh removed Tea's hand from his thigh and held it in his hand.  
  
"Tea, what is it you really want to say?" Yami stated in an attempt to regain control.  
  
Tea looked stunned...as if this was not a part of her vision.  
  
"I....I...." she stuttered.  
  
She was leaning ever closer to Yami. Yami peered deep within her eyes, trying to sense the truth within her.  
  
"Yami, do you even know what kind of love I mean?" Tea asked.  
  
Yami turned his head to cough—a reminder of his present condition.  
  
"I mean true love that makes you crazy...to the point you don't even know who you are...love like...I have..." Tea sighed.  
  
Yami felt a sharp pain in his heart. He didn't know whether the wounds on his body caused such pain or Tea's suspenseful confession. He just knew he couldn't take either much longer.  
  
Tea was growing impatient with Yami. He bowed his head and seemed to be deep in thought.  
  
"Tea...I don't know how to say this..."  
  
"You don't have to. Love can't be explained in words. But I can show you..."  
  
Yami had no time to react before the girl was in his lap. She was cautious not to put too much pressure on his body and quickly searched for a certain part of his body. Before long, she had found them—his lips. She pressed his lips to her own and closed her eyes tightly, perhaps to avoid Yami's objection, or to lose herself in the moment. Yami's eyes were wide open. He could feel the inner part of her lips greeting the tip of his tongue. The kiss wasn't deep, but it seemed to last forever. Tea couldn't tell if he was kissing back, so she continued to kiss until she got some sort of reaction from him. Yami didn't know what to do. His heart was breaking. He could in no way kiss the girl back; he wasn't in love with her. But the prospect of breaking her heart caused him much pain. He decided to wrap his arms around her in a tight embrace and prepared her for the worst. Tea felt the pharaoh's hand wrapped around her waist. A tear almost fell from her eye. The scene was picture perfect...Yami and Tea in a tight embrace, kissing for the first time. But the pharaoh's intentions were not the same. He slowly moved his head away and used his arms to keep Tea still. His was very gentle with her.  
  
Tea was searching for something...anything from him. He slowly wiped her check and held his hand under her chin.  
  
"Tea..."  
  
Tea's eyes lit up at the sound of her name.  
  
"I...cannot love you. Not how you want me to," Yami slowly declared.

Tea froze. Her expression went blank and she attempted to turn her head away, which is precisely why the pharaoh placed his hand on her chin. He turned her eyes to him and smiled.  
  
"I will be here for you always, Tea. You can count on me to protect you and to love you like I love all my friends."  
  
Tea's eyes were fixed on Yami's. She noticed he was shaking...struggling to tell her this. Tea's face contorted into a ball of frustration and she began to weep. Yami quickly grasped her in his arms and embraced her closely.  
  
"Please...Tea...there is someone else who loves you so..."  
  
"But it's not you, right..." she inturrupted.  
  
"No."  
  
Tea broke his embrace and ran away from him with no clear direction, knocking all of Yami's cards to the floor.  
  
"Tea!" Yami pleaded.  
  
But she pretended not to hear him. She bolted out of the door, into the outside world leaving Yami completely alone with arms out reached. He lowered his eyes and arms in ache and trembled.  
  
"Aibou," Yami softly quivered "please come to my aid..." A small tear found its way down the pharaoh's face. "I need you now more than ever."  
  
Yami glanced down at his cards, strewn across the floor. Some were face up, some face down...some were caught in between the cracks. He then used his arms to guide him off of the table and onto the floor. Yami grunted in frustration. His legs were determined not to cooperate. So he dropped to his knees and began assembling his deck, card by card.


	12. Images

In a crouched, defeated position, with no particular incident on his mind, Yami slept. He slept only as a means to pass the time, for the passage of time meant the passing of pain, discomfort, and frustration. Being awake brought all of these ails and more. Ever since the incident, Yami's eyes became a door way to the worst possible dimension, one filled with blood, angst, and Tea's tears; the insufferable onslaught of Tea's tears. Those tears had enough power to fill Yami's mind forever and lull him into a dense slumber, rocking him slowly back and fourth like a buoy floating freely in the ocean and yet chained to the rocks below. The only way to close the dimension was to close his eyes, and so he did.

Having lost enough blood to not care, Yami's slept distortedly on the floor—half-way up and half-way down. His awkward position had not changed ever since Tea left...ever since she ran out on him leaving him alone. When he attempted to reassemble the dilemma of his deck, piece by piece, his body gave out having not enough blood to spare to his fingertips and limbs. And so he was frozen, until either Yugi or his blood came rushing back to save him. In the meantime, there was nothing to do but pass the time...

* * *

"The adventures of Joey and Yugi!" Joey exclaimed as he walked down a path through the dense green. "That's gonna be the name of my book. Its gonna be about our adventures here, Yug. And guess what, you're gonna be in it!"  
  
Yugi tried his best to look excited. He understood Joey's need to make the situation seem less dire through his jokes and positive attitude, but Yami was back at that place possibly dying. He had no time to play around. "I'm just glad Tea's there with him," Yugi thought.  
  
"Man, this guy's not doing to well," Joey whispered as he noticed Yugi's forced reaction. Joey fully understood what was going on, but he couldn't allow Yugi to loose hope.  
  
"It's gonna be a bestseller, I'm tellin' ya," Joey commented.  
  
Yugi was walking beside him. They were finally going back to the cabin. It had been several hours and so far they had learned quite a few things about their surroundings. One: they now know there is a river not too far north where they can always get fresh water. Two: they were surrounded by vegetation and fruit bearing bushes...some of which had to be edible. But since they weren't sure, Yugi suggested they not experiment with that until Tea had a look at it. Three: they were in the middle of nowhere. They had been walking for hours and the entire terrain was unfamiliar. Not exactly the best news, but its news.  
  
"How does your book end," Yugi asked in a solemn voice.  
  
Joey wasn't prepared for that one. He quickly searched his mind for the answer that would bring him hope.  
  
"Well, that's the problem with unwritten books," Joey smiled "you never know what's going to happen next."  
  
Yugi smiled, a little more genuinely this time and nodded.  
  
"Thanks, Joey."  
  
"For what, Yug?"  
  
"For helping me to realize that... we can still make it."  
  
"Hey, it's not over 'til it's over," Joey said as he lifted his thumb into the air, signaling that everything was going be ok. "I just hope Tea hasn't let us down...again," Joey quietly added.  
  
"What do you mean?" Yugi gently asked. His large violet eyes surveyed Joey's.  
  
"Yug, I already told you. She really is acting weird. I mean, she's already a weird girl but what happened back there was kind of..." Joey hesitates to add "...psycho."  
  
Yugi at once feels the need to scold him for calling her that, but he is calmed instantly by his own nerve to respect Joey's opinion. It wasn't unjustified or out of spite, it was the truth. Tea was acting strangely. However, Yugi always had a way of mitigating her actions.  
  
"She's just nervous," Yugi added.  
  
"No, she's just a nervous break down waiting to happen...if it hasn't already. How can you not see that?" Joey said.  
  
"Something this bad has never happened to us before. She needs time to relax and heal." Yugi lectured.  
  
"No, you need time to relax and heal, and so does Yami. You're the ones with the wounds. When she freaked out back there she was a completely different person. Why can't you see that!?" Joey added.  
  
"I need her there Joey, so stop this now," Yugi impatiently added as he lowered his head to the ground. She...is not a psycho, Joey," Yugi looked up "She's...my friend. We have to be there for her like she's been for us."  
  
And with that said, Yugi took the lead and Joey followed him silently back to the cabin.  
  
Joey cocked his head in frustration. "Yugi is protecting Tea as if he hadn't noticed what happened back there," Joey thought. "Is it possible he didn't? I mean, one moment he was unconscious on the floor and the next he was talking to Tea, asking her to take him to Yami. But did he say all this after or before she started going crazy? I can't remember!"  
  
Joey grabbed his head in frustration. "If only I could turn the pages back and see what happened in that chapter!"  
  
Joey continued behind Yugi. They were about 50 feet away from the cabin steps.  
  
Yugi slowly made his way up the steps. Each step brought with it the scraping of cloth against wound; however, his main concern was Yami. He stood at the summit, slightly out of breath and slowly continued forward with a certain image in his mind. This image was somewhat reminiscent of the way Yami and Tea were when they left initially. Except Yugi expected that Yami be bandaged up by now and lying comfortably as possible on the table, with Tea not far from his side. He imagined her stroking his forehead and wiping his face. He imagined her holding his hand and talking him through the pain. He imagined her being the exact opposite of the image Joey had bothered him with. Yugi placed his hands on the door and with minimal strength to spare, pulled it open.  
  
It did not take long for Yugi to notice that Tea was missing. Her presence could not be felt. It also did not take him long to see that Yami was not lying comfortably on the table. That space was empty. It did not take him long at all to recognize the misshapen silhouette leaning on the table's leg for support. The ruby tips of hair and blonde bangs were the only identifying marks...the rest was black. This image was the only image, and there was no Tea, no comfort, and no care...just the faceless shadow of a man lying on the floor holding a few cards in his hand.  
  
"What the..." Joey stated.  
  
"Yami!!" Yugi shouted as he rushed to Yami's side.  
  
Yugi landed on his knees, grinding his delicate knee caps into the uneven planks. Yugi placed his arms around Yami and straightened his spine. Yami's upper body was bandaged, so that was relief. But Yami was not responding.  
  
Joey came to his side and aided Yugi with untangling the pharaoh.  
  
"Looks like he fell off the table," Joey stated.  
  
"No he couldn't have," Yugi said with tears in his eyes "Not with Tea  
by his side!"  
  
"Maybe she left."  
  
"No! Why would she leave!? Why would she let this happen!?" Yugi looked down into the closed eyes before him. Yami had been crying. The tears had left their marks. Yugi felt his soul sink. Then he noticed something else. "Huh? ...cards?" He slowly picked up a face down card and flipped it face-up: kuriboh.  
  
"What's goin' on? Why are his cards all over the floor?" Joey questioned.  
  
Yugi took the card and placed it in Yami's hand.  
  
"Help me pick him up, Joey."  
  
"No, he'll just fall off the table again," Joey responded.  
  
"He didn't fall off the table," Yugi muttered "I know he didn't."  
  
Yugi tried to pick the pharaoh up by himself but failed.  
  
"Here, let me help," Joey said.  
  
They both lifted Yami up and onto the table.  
  
"So what makes you so sure he didn't fall...I mean, my scenario seems good enough. Tea went out for a breath of fresh air and Yami turned over...KAPOW."  
  
"Tea wouldn't just leave him like that, not for a breath of air. And it seems as though he took out his deck before he fell...how could he do that if he was sleeping?"  
  
"Why don't you ask him?"  
  
Yugi turned to face his partner. He was hesitant to wake him. It was possible that the pharaoh was finally at peace somewhere. But the fact remained that Tea was missing. Maybe he knew where she is and why she left.  
  
Yugi's hand rested upon Yami's shoulder. "He was finally breathing normally," he thought. Yugi softly began to ask the pharaoh to awaken. Yami's eyes began to twitch as though Yugi's voice was pulling him out of a dream. It was not long that Yami lay awake before his beloved friend.  
  
"A...aibou...uhh." A deep growl escaped Yami's throat.  
  
"Are you okay?" Yugi's voice was trembling. Yami's eyes were tracing the ceiling...it was as if he was not fully awake.  
  
"Yami? Are you okay?" Yugi's small hands reached out to massage Yami's temples. He began to breathe deeply and slowly. "Please say something?"  
  
"Aibou?" Yami blinked his eyes repeatedly. "Are you...really here?"  
  
"Can't you feel my hands?" Yugi asked with a smile.  
  
"Yes...I can," Yami responded. "I can feel your pulse as well. Why is it beating so fast, aibou?"  
  
"Tea's missing...and when we got here we found you and your cards on the floor. Do you know what happened here?"  
  
"Yes. Can you help me up, Joey?" Yami asked.  
  
"I dunno, you don't look ready," Joey responded.  
  
"I am ready Joey...please..." Yami began to lift himself off the table once again. If he didn't get help, it would once again result in his exhaustion.  
  
"Alright buddy, take it easy..." Joey said as he assisted the pharaoh to his feet.  
  
"How do you feel?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Terrible," Yami said with a smile. "But that's a lot better than what I felt like before you got here."  
  
"So what happened to Tea? Lemme guess, she went crazy again?" Joey asked.  
  
"She ran outside and I'm not sure where she went," said the pharaoh. He pointed his violet eyes towards the door. "....I'm going to go bring her back."  
  
"Woah!" Yugi and Joey said simultaneously while holding Yami back.  
  
"You can't do that," Yugi exclaimed. "You have to rest."  
  
"Aibou, she ran away because of me."  
  
"What?!" Yugi eyes widened.  
  
"I was the one who lost her, and now I'll bring her back."  
  
"Yami, she ran out on her own," Joey said. "It's not your fault. I told you that girl was crazy."  
  
"No matter what, she's not safe out there and one of us must go get her," Yugi stated.  
  
"Lemme guess, me? Right. I'm not going after her. How in the world would I know where to start?"  
  
"I'll come with you." Yugi added. Yami's eyes widened. "We can follow her footsteps."  
  
Joey sighed. The last thing he wanted was to find Tea, but Yami and Yugi were in no condition to do it themselves and she was in danger out there.  
  
"No Yug, you stay here with Yami. I'll go."  
  
"Are you sure?" Yami asked.  
  
"Yeah...I'll quickly look around. Just do me a favor and be here when I get back, okay?"  
  
"Can do," Yugi nodded.  
  
With that, Joey was gone, out looking for Tea.  
  
Yami was finally beginning to look like his old self again. He stood taller than Yugi, with his arms loosely crossed and eyebrows lowered. "There only thing missing is his shirt," Yugi thought. Yugi kneeled to the ground. Yami noticed his partner bend to pick up his deck. Yami felt the urge to bend and assist him, however, he was not capable of moving on his own. Though the pharaoh was standing, he couldn't walk. Yami grasped the edge of the table. His body was trembling. He was thinking about Tea again.  
  
"Let me help you pick these up, Yami."  
  
"Aibou, I must tell you something now that we are alone."  
  
"What about?"  
  
"It's about Tea." 

"Don't worry Yami...it's not your fault."

"I'm sorry Aibou, but I must tell you this."

_ Hello All. Looks like Yami's getting better. It's about time. To all of those who have written reviews for Yami and Yugi Apart thank you so much. Your support motivates me. I'm trying to update at least once a week so stay tuned for that next chappie!_


	13. Red Clouds

"What is it about the water," Tea thought as she approached the river's edge "that makes me want to cry?" She watched her reflection dance in the moonlit glare. "Because it has no memory," Tea thought. "I wish," she sighed "I could be like the water." She silently held herself in the open forest hoping for some sort of closure. But what closer was there to be had?  
  
The sun was set—the full moon was at her peak—and yet the atmosphere still reeked of shadows. Everything was so hopeless... so endless... and all Tea had was a memory and all the time in the world to think about it. Every ounce of Tea's mind was sinking slowly into the bottom of the black river. It is the type of depression only the broken-hearted know. The despair of spiritual arrest.  
  
But heartbreak was not the only thing Tea was guilty of. Tea kneeled down to the water's edge and began to dip her hands into river, rippling colorful waves of red clouds.  
  
"I knew you would be by the river," Joey said. "A girl like you doesn't just go running in the bushes somewhere. You stayed straight on the path."  
  
Tea hardly acknowledged his presence. She continued to repeatedly dip her hands and watch her reflection change by the droplet's force. The silence spoke volumes to Joey. Tea was at the end of her rope. "But why?" Joey thought "And for goodness sake, what?"  
  
Tea stood. Joey watched her silhouette take shape against the darkened sky and cool water. He motioned to go closer but the scowl on Tea's face could have been seen by a blind man. It was clear as day.  
  
"Everyone thinks that I'm that kind of girl," Tea spoke.  
  
"Whadda ya mean, Tea?" Joey said impatiently. It was clear that he was getting frustrated by her non-sense.  
  
"Not the type of girl who goes running in the bushes," she whispered. "But...the girl who's always there. The girl who just...is always around. There's nothing special about me."  
  
Joey stared at the figure before him...this shadow of a former friend. There was no warmth, no light and no face to respond to. Where Tea's blue eyes once existed there was only darkness. It was as if she had been wrapped in ribbons of black silk.  
  
"Look Tea," Joey gently said as he took two steps closer "what did you do that's making you like this? Cause this ain't the Tea I know. The fact that you're always there is what I like about ya. You'll always be there for us. We'll always be together."  
  
Tea's voice began to break. "I've done something horrible," she whimpered. "If you've ever thought of me as a friend..." Tea stopped.  
  
"What, Tea? What do you mean?" Joey urged.  
  
Tea's eyes were slightly visible now that Joey was closer. He could sense something deeply wrong with her. He could see the tears falling down her cheeks.  
  
"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?" Tea said as she looked up, revealing another tear.  
  
Joey slowly approached closer. Tea was filthy. Her skin, from her feet to her knees, was covered in mud. Her hair had its share of dirt as well. Her clothes had been snagged by the countless thorn bearing bushes through the path.  
  
"I don't know" he said.  
  
"If you've ever thought of me as a friend... you'll leave me here," Tea mumbled.  
  
"Look," Joey sighed "Yami and Yugi sent me out here for you. I'm here for them. So I don't care what you ask me to do, I ain't doin' it. I'm taking you back right now."  
  
"Yami...wanted you to come get me?"  
  
"...and Yugi," Joey added. "They're waiting for us back at that cabin...or whatever you want to call it. So, c'mon let's go back already."  
  
Tea smiled. "I don't wanna leave."  
  
Joey sucked his teeth. "Why not Tea? Do you wanna die out here?!"  
  
Tea turned her back to Joey and once again looked at the water.  
  
"I can't go back to that place...after what I've done," Tea grieved "he could never forgive me." Tea lowered herself to her knees and embraced her waist.  
  
Joey frowned and hesitantly guided her landing so she wouldn't hurt herself. He gradually kneeled beside her and held her shoulders.  
  
"What have you done, Tea? You need to tell me now." Joey spoke.  
  
"I know now...that the love I had... can never be returned. This whole thing...is my fault." Tea sobbed as she grabbed her chest.  
  
Joey rolled his eyes. "You're not talking about that thing back there with Yami are you? When you froze up when he was about to die? Look, I'm...I'm... sorry for saying those things about you. I'm not saying I didn't mean it" Joey added "but I was way too hard on you. I think this experience had just been way too much for you to handle. You're right, everyone thinks you're not the type of girl who goes running in the bushes... because you're not. I'm sorry you had to go through this. But if we leave now we can start over."  
  
"I'm not going back, Joey so just leave me alone!" Tea shouted.  
  
Joey released his grip on her shoulders.  
  
"It's official...you're crazy," he said.  
  
"Yes..." Tea whimpered "...I was crazy...am crazy because of my love."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I can't do this anymore anymore, Joey," Tea said as she looked him in his eyes. "I almost let Yami die...because I love him."  
  
"You almost let him die cause you're crazy."  
  
"No, it's not like that," Tea said, wiping her eyes "It's...It's...my fault."  
  
"Can we resolve this in the cabin?"  
  
"No, you're not hearing me! It's my fault...everything is my fault!"  
  
"I'm going back to the cabin... I would tell you to call when you're ready, but there's no phone. So just come over when you fell like it...no advance notice required."  
  
Joey turned his back to the water and began the journey back "home." Tea was proving to be crazier than he suspected.  
  
"Joey...please," Tea pleaded "please understand... that when I say I loved him...I really did."  
  
"If you "love" him how could you just stand there when he was bleeding to death?" Joey said.  
  
"Because it was my fault he was bleeding...my fault that you, Yugi, and I were in the woods to...to begin with. My fault that they were separated...my fault," Tea cried "that they were bleeding to death."  
  
"I don't understand why or what you're talking about?" Joey complained.  
  
Tea let out a chuckle as if feeling the truth pour out of her stomach. "In other words," Tea added "I arranged it all."  
  
Joey stopped breathing. His entire body froze in place as he suddenly felt something very wrong with the atmosphere. He slowly pivoted in place and saw her on the floor, half-smiling half-crying.  
  
"You mean..." Joey felt his chest tighten "you mean...that all this" he hesitated "is your doing?"  
  
Tea slowly nodded. "I know..." Tea swallowed "...that you're confu..."  
  
"Stop," Joey demanded "this can't be true."  
  
"Yes it is. We've all...known each other for a lot of years. And I've given up a lot of things I've wanted to do to follow you guys. It wasn't because I was nice, or dependable...," Tea scoffed at herself "it was because I became...insane. I was angry that after all those damn years that no one thought much more of me as a dependable friend. Especially Yami," Tea stated.  
  
"You loved Yami...all that time? Why, Tea? Yami is a spirit...how could he ever love you back?"  
  
"That's why we're here. I... met someone...who said he could help me. Yami has such great power... I thought that...there must be another spirit out there powerful enough to give him his own body. So...I did my research and...he found me. He said he had felt my pain...he said he understood what it felt like to be alone, like I was. He said he could help me," Tea said, lowering her head further. I was desperate. I wanted Yami to have a body...to be alive so badly. So I set it up."  
  
"You mean you knew...that all this would happen?!"  
  
"I didn't know we would get lost. I didn't know Yami and Yugi would almost die. I didn't know anything! I was just so...insane. I didn't think. And now, I can't be forgiven." Tea looked up at Joey. "Please understand that when I saw Yami dying in front of me, because of my stupidity, I froze up...because it was all my fault. Every second of it."  
  
Joey inhaled deeply. "So we're all gonna die because of you?"  
  
"Do you hate me?" Tea inquired.  
  
Joey didn't respond.  
  
Tea began to speak but Joey cut her off as soon as she began. There was silence. Joey noticed how the calm wind brushed against the tropical plants. He noticed how tranquil the water was. He noticed how nature always seemed to set itself right. Joey felt tears of hatred stream down his face. He became envious of that tranquility. And yet it was this very tranquil natural world that left all three lost and starving. How could something so beautiful be so harsh? 


	14. I tried to follow her

_ I shouldn't be typing these chapters at work... but it's the only thing keeping me awake. Who cares what happenes the next time my boss strolls in and catches me on. I walk on the wild side. Oh, and a note: The previous chapter, chapter 13: The preview, has been replaced with a full brand new chapter entitled "Red Clouds." So make sure you go back and read that chapter before you read this one. That's right...two chappies for your enjoyment. Okay, now I gotta close this window before somebody notices._

Sitting on the cold earth, Tea imagined how things could have been different. Finding the right words, however, seemed impossible. How could anything she might say relieve her of the consequences? How could she ever be what Yugi called "a best friend?"  
  
"I wish I could do it all over again... knowing what I do now," Tea thought   
  
"So why did you come to the river," Joey said, interrupting her thought. "We're you planning on jumping in?"  
  
"Don't you think I should?" Tea tearfully responded.  
  
"Personally I think that's the easy way out... but if you are still planning on it, I can't let you."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Cause you have to tell all this to Yug and Yami."  
  
Tea winced at the thought of coming face-to-face with Yami. Last time she talked to him, he rejected her—crushed her heart, and made her realize that she had made everyone suffer for no reason.  
  
"I did all this for him. I loved him." Tea stood up and turned to the water. "I don't think I can follow you guy's around anymore. I only wanted him to love me back."  
  
"Tea..." Joey said while shaking his head "this really doesn't seem like you. I've known you for too long to believe you freaked out like this all because of a crush. I think we should go back. You need to tell us more about this spirit who "helped" you."  
  
Tea stepped into the water, allowing the water to rush around her ankles. As far as Tea was concerned, there was no way she could actually go throught with it...but it was worth a try.  
  
"Tea! What are you doing!? Look, you already said that you had no intentions of hurting anyone. You said you didn't know all this would happen." Joey pleaded. "I believe you...and so will Yami."  
  
Tea stopped moving and turned to Joey.  
  
"Do you think he could forgive me?" Tea asked. "I only did it because I wanted him to have a body. I wanted peace for him."  
  
Joey shook his head. There was no way he could lie to her. He wanted to tell her that Yami might forgive her...or that her reasons for doing this weren't selfish. But Joey figured that if he expressed this truth, Tea might go deeper into the water. "Best to just grab her," Joey thought.  
  
"What are you doing!" Tea screamed. But before she could finish the sentence, Joey had her firmly in his grip.  
  
"Enougha this. Tea, we've gotta get to the bottom of this."  
  
Joey began to walk back to the cabin.

* * *

"Yami has managed to stand up but moving around seems to be impossible," Yugi thought. Yugi smiled. Yami seemed to be healing nicely and was on his way to recovery. Yugi bent down to assemble Yami's deck.  
  
"How do you feel Yami," Yugi asked as he picked up another card. "You seem to be doing well."  
  
"Just don't bump into me and I'll be fine," Yami said with a smile.  
  
"I'm so glad to see you getting better."  
  
"I live to protect you. I know this because the moment you came back to me, aibou, I felt my strength return."  
  
Yugi blushed a little. "No, I'm pretty sure it must have been Tea's care. You seemed to be doing much better by the time we got back."  
  
Yugi held out Yami completed deck. "By the way" Yugi asked "who knocked your deck over in the first place?"  
  
Yami lowered his eyes, ignoring the deck Yugi held out before him. He envisioned the hurt Yugi might face if he informed him of Tea's actions. Yugi thought so highly of her... he treasured her...thought of her as a true best friend. "I wish he hadn't asked me that," Yami thought. "But as I said, I must tell him the truth."  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Yugi asked.  
  
Yami crossed his arms and closed his eyes—a position he frequently takes when he is facing a great challenge... or maybe it was because sitting or kneeling wasn't an option.  
  
"C'mon, take your deck, Yami. Unless that is...you want me to keep it." Yugi grinned.  
  
Yami smiled. "What good what that do you? Two identical decks? Trade, maybe?"  
  
"I couldn't do that. I'd keep it somewhere safe."  
  
Yami loved how Yugi could always make him smile. He decided to approach the matter as gently as possible. He uncrossed his arms and spoke gently to his friend.  
  
"Aibou, I need to talk to you about Tea."  
  
"What about her, Yami?"  
  
"She was the one who knocked over my deck," Yami hesitantly said.  
  
Yami opened his deep purple eyes and surveyed Yugi's, looking for any sign that he should stop. Yugi, however, just stared blankly.  
  
"That's weird," Yugi stated calmly "but how come she didn't pick them up for you?"  
  
"Because, Aibou, it wasn't an accident."  
  
Yugi's face seemed to change slightly. He seemed as if he was trying to solve a puzzle, but the pieces wouldn't quite fit. He tilted his head faintly.  
  
"What do you mean? Tea wouldn't do that."  
  
"She did more than that," Yami whispered "she...declared her love..."  
  
Yugi's eyes widened.  
  
"...to me."  
  
"To us?" Yugi corrected.  
  
"No, Yugi. To me. And that's not all she did. She had been acting strange to begin with...but when you left, it seemed as if something had taken over her spirit. She approached me, and asked if I had ever been in love."  
  
"That doesn't mean she likes you," Yugi said, slightly relieved.  
  
"She approached me. I hoped and hoped you would come, Aibou, so you could have seen it with your own eyes. But now I'm glad you didn't because you would have seen what I now regret to say."  
  
"Go ahead and say what happened," Yugi said.  
  
"Tea... kissed me. She fully professed her love...to me," Yami said, staring deeply into Yugi's eyes.  
  
Yugi felt his chest ache. His eyes flickered back and fourth as he searched for some sort of punch line from Yami. But Yami's eyes were still. They focused intensely of Yugi. Yugi lowered his eyes.  
  
"She did that? She...kissed you?"  
  
"Yes. But when my love was not returned, she was very upset."  
  
"What did she do?" Yugi asked slowly.  
  
Yami sighed. This was the hard part.  
  
"She...began to cry. She ran out...knocking over my deck... and hasn't returned since."  
  
Yami was trembling. Yugi felt a tear form in his eye. He backed away from Yami.  
  
"Please don't back away from me, aibou. Please? I did not mean to hurt her or you. You must believe that I would lay down my life for both of you...she was just acting..."  
  
"You're gonna tell me she was acting strange, weren't you? Just like, Joey did." Yugi shook his head from side to side. "This can't be. I mean, how could you hurt her like that, Yami?"  
  
"I told her the truth...just as I'm doing now, aibou. I told her she would always be my dearest friend... but she seemed very deeply injured by that.  
  
"Enough to knock over your deck," Yugi commented.  
  
"Yes. So know you know, Aibou, when I said she ran out because of me...it was the truth. I hurt Tea. And I'm afraid you'll never forgive me for it," Yami said with his head lowered.  
  
Yugi was frozen in thought. He could deal with Tea professing her love...or even her kiss. The part that caused Yugi the deepest pain was the fact that Tea was now out somewhere in the woods at night, crying her eyes out, because of Yami. Tea was first and foremost Yugi's best friend. And Tea's pain was Yugi's pain.  
  
"Tea ran out because of you?" Yugi said with his head lowered.  
  
"Yes. I tried to follow her..."  
  
"But you couldn't..."  
  
"No."  
  
"I have to go find her," Yugi said as he impatiently headed for the door.  
  
"Wait! Yugi, I'm coming with you...it's my fault."  
  
"You stay here Yami."  
  
"I won't let you leave me, aibou!" Yami said as Yugi walked away.  
  
"You're too wounded to come," Yugi said, staring at the ground. "I wont have you hurt anymore. I can handle this," Yugi said.  
  
"Yugi, you must have faith that Tea is okay."  
  
Yugi stepped out...determined to prove Tea's sanity.

_Hmm. I don't think Tea could ever come between Yugi and Yami...but Yugi just a little hurt right now. Yami will understand. I wonder what will happen when they learn the truth about Tea? And will they ever get the heck outta that place? Review 'n stuff. Please? _


End file.
